Dress for Life

Why follow? When you follow, are you comfortable? When you follow, do you feel like yourself? When you follow, are you really accomplishing anything good for yourself?

We all look at fashion on the television, and in the news and in the magazine pages. We check there, sometimes diligently, to make sure that we are “with the times”, to make sure that we are wearing what we are supposed to wear, and to make sure that our fellow acquaintances, co-workers, school mates and others will accept us.

But, seriously, do we want to be uncomfortable just to be accepted? Do we want to spend extra money, sometimes, money that we really don’t have, just in order that others will see us and accept us into their circles?

From the time that we are younger, most times, society will tell us not to copy others, to be original. Yet, when it comes to fashion, somehow, that particular area in life, actually, seems to be very disconnected from the rest of life.

It appears that we will wear anything, even a burlap bag, if the fashion experts assure us that this is “in style” this year. That’s right. It doesn’t matter what the item is made from or who makes it or where it is made, as long as the fashion experts agree that this year, this is in style.

So, who appoints these experts? Where do these experts come from and exactly who is listening to these so-called experts?

I’m not sure about you, but for myself, I think that it is silly to wear a noose around one’s neck. And to me, it’s just as silly to wear clothing that is so uncomfortable that it is scratchy, itchy and just almost unbearable — just because it happens to be ‘in style’ for the moment, in this season or next season.

For me, actually, the whole idea of anyone being a ‘fashion expert’ is ridiculous. Think about it. When you are a baby, someone else dresses you. Someone else picks out all of your clothing, colors, styles materials, everything! And as you grow into being a toddler, still someone else is dressing you.

And there you go, another year passes and it’s really a few more years, until you actually can dress yourself, and choose your own clothing. So, for years, after you are born, there is really always someone else in charge of the clothes that you wear.

And off you go to school and even if you are in school and you are old enough to choose what kind of clothes that you want to wear, still, yes, still, you are at someone else’s beck and call as to what you will wear. You might have a school uniform. And if you don’t have a school uniform, you probably have a group in your school that wears the ‘popular’ team colors or clothes.

You might sit at home and watch television and see what the latest styles are. And of course, right? Of course, you want those styles, because you want to ‘fit in” right?

How can you go to school wearing something different than what everyone else is wearing? What if your school colors are blue and green and you don’t like blue and green. Can you get away with wearing purple or orange or yellow, at all?

Hey! Don’t even think about it. Imagine going to a game and wearing the wrong color? How would that look to your buddies and to others around who will see what you are wearing?

So, there you are, you might have reached high school and perhaps even reached college, still not really being able to decide what you want to wear — for fear of ‘not fitting in” with the rest of society. So, exactly how old must you be before you wear what feels right for you?

Forty? Fifty? Sixty? Ha! You think that if you reach an old age, by then, you just might be able to choose your own clothing right? Think again. There will be those who will judge you. There will be those who will say to you, “Hey, that looks too young for you”! There will be those who will talk behind your back and say that you shouldn’t be wearing that — at all. And then there will be those who will say it right to your face, “Are you really going to wear that outside”?

And so, there you are. You’ve lived your life as everyone else has wanted you to live your life and you have worn the clothing that everyone else has wanted you to wear and you might still be sitting there at age 100, saying… “Hmm… I believe that I am old enough, now, to choose my own clothing”, think again.

If you really reach the age of 100, it is too late. That’s right. It’s too late at age 100 to decide that you are free, and that you can wear anything that feels comfortable on you. It’s way too late.

The time for you to decide to be you is right now! That’s it. Right now. Today, this moment, is the moment that you should look into your closet of clothes and choose what is right for you to wear, what is right for YOUR approval. It is time to forget “fashion week”, and time to forget what the world thinks is ‘in” and it’s time for you to be yourself.

You have spent your whole life listening to the instructions of others on the topic of clothing and most times, it just wasn’t you at all. Most times, the fashion industry was wrong. Do I dare say that? Yes. Most times, the fashion industry is wrong. And the reason it is wrong is because the whole industry, the main goal of the industry is to sell clothing, to sell material, to sell accessories, to sell period!

And now, at whatever age you are at, now is the time for you to stop buying!

This year, be different!

This year, be you.

This year, don’t even buy any magazine that tells you what to wear because it isn’t necessary at all. It really isn’t necessary for us to read a magazine to know what is comfortable for us and after all, isn’t comfort the main reason you would choose a shirt or top or suit or anything? Wouldn’t you want to choose the most comfortable clothing you can buy?

If you answered yes to that question, then you have made it to maturity. You have made it out of the sheep-mode, and into the “I am me” mode. Congratulations!

So, what will you wear today?

Seriously?

Just kidding.

You don’t need to tell me what you will wear today. Just tell yourself instead of listening to anyone else. And keep on telling yourself what to wear. Throw the magazines away. Change the channel when the fashion ads come on. And don’t even pick up the advertising section of the newspaper if you see clothing that is being “pushed” as this year’s “style”. Make your own style. And as you turn and hear the comments, don’t even listen to the negatives. If someone doesn’t like what you are wearing, that’s their problem!

It’s time we become individuals instead or remaining as sheep, following someone who is leading us. We weren’t made to be sheep. So we shouldn’t dress like sheep.

Take that one step. And then take another to your clothes closet and get rid of everything that you bought just to ‘fit in”.